


A Family United

by Kai517_TeenWriter



Series: The Learning Curve [1]
Category: Tangled (2010), Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: A little bit of angst, A little bit of fluff, Angst and Feels, Family, Family Feels, Family Reunions, Feels, Fluff and Angst, One Shot, Other, aahhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 12:05:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15907932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kai517_TeenWriter/pseuds/Kai517_TeenWriter
Summary: After ten years, Cassandra has finally returned to Corona. And she's ready to see her father again.





	A Family United

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [Tangled_Prompt_Challenge](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Tangled_Prompt_Challenge) collection. 



> Also, just a bit of context since this is the first I'm releasing of "The Learning Curve" series: Cassandra stayed outside of Corona, even when Rapunzel and Eugene returned ten years before. She explored a little, finding all that she could before moving to Vardaros. There, she met a man named Adam and they fell in love, eventually getting married and having kids. Their eldest, Jack, is five years old, and Connor is three. (And, as Adam likes to say, their youngest-- who is yet to be born-- is "negative four months" old). Aside from the occasional letter, though, nobody in Corona's necessarily up-to-date on all things Cassandra... Until she randomly reappears one day with the boys. (Adam's still in Vardaros for a little while longer).
> 
> Here's her reunion with her father.
> 
> (More in the series, including a full-length fic, will be released later).

**Side Lesson One**

**"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."**

* * *

Somehow, Cassandra was able to make it into the palace-- and into its central wings and corridors-- without anybody taking notice to her or the young boys at her sides. While she had been  _expecting_ loud noise and hubbub, she was only greeted with silence and the occasional curt nod.

_If only they were like this every day,_ she thought to herself with a smirk,  _maybe then I might've stayed._

But, as for now, she was perfectly fine with just walking towards the main hall in the quiet. Jack and Connor clung to her arms, taking in their new surroundings. Having spent all of their lives in Vardaros, they were unused to a place like Corona. Corona was so nice and neat and organized, and the people seemed to be okay-- even that dorky friend of their mother's that they had just run into.

Connor glanced at his older brother, a slow grin making its way across his face.  _A palace!_ How awesome was that?!

Cass pulled to an abrupt stop suddenly, having apparently reached her destination. Her sons stopped, too, looking up at her inquisitively. She gave a soft chuckle, kneeling down so that she could see her little boys face-to-face.

"Okay, boys," she whispered, looking from Jack to Connor, "this... This might be a little tough. Maybe not for you. But this is your grandfather's main office."

"Gra... Grandfather?" Jack asked.

She chuckled again, ruffling her oldest son's hair. "Yes, your grandfather. _My_ daddy."

Connor looked at Jack, eyes wide with surprise. "Mommy has a daddy, too?!"

Cassandra covered her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. She didn't want to ruin the surprise for her father.

"Anyways," she continued after another moment or so, "he hasn't seen me in about ten years. And he's never even met you two, so... He's going to be surprised."

Connor looked at his mother. " _Very_ surprised?"

"Yes, Connor. He's going to be very surprised. Now, do you two want to help me knock?"

Jack shrugged halfheartedly, but Connor grinned, nodding. Cass raised her hand, forming a knuckle to knock, and, much to her delight, both boys copied her.

"Ready?"

They both nodded. She gave the signal and all three of them reached to knock on the door. Immediately, Cass could hear footsteps inside, loud and firm on the floor. Somehow, even after ten long years of not hearing them, she recognized them as the footsteps of her father. She could hear his voice, loud and firm, speaking to whoever was in the room with him and apologizing, asking for a moment.

And then... The door opened. And there, standing in the doorway, was her father.

They stayed there for a long moment, Kade standing in the doorway and staring in disbelief at his daughter. Ten years, ten  _long_ years...

"Cassandra," he spoke, his voice hardly above a whisper, "oh, Cassandra..."

She stood up so that she could see him face-to-face. "Hey, Dad."

As soon as she said this, though, she could see that her father was on the verge of tears. Already, she was starting to well up, too, and she didn't feel like crying. She also didn't feel like seeing someone else cry, especially not someone she cared for so much.

"Dad... Daddy," she murmured, trying not to burst into tears right then, "don't cry. If you cry, then I cry, and everyone here will know we actually  _can_ cry."

Kade chuckled, pulling his daughter in for a hug. She gladly returned it, happy to be home-- and in her father's arms-- once again.

For ten years, Kade hadn't seen his little girl. For ten years, all he ever really heard from her was in the form of a short, sweet letter. And now... Here she was, once again in his arms.

Connor began to get impatient after a minute or so, and he began to tug at his grandfather's shirt. Kade let go of his daughter and knelt down so that he could see the boys better. Again, he began to tear up.

"I'm... I'm assuming that these are your boys?" he asked softly, though it seemed a silly question.

He knew for a fact that Cass had the two boys, and these two bore strong resemblances to her. Of course they were her boys. But still... He could hardly believe that he was face-to-face with his grandsons. Ever since he'd received the letter about Jack-- five years ago now-- something had changed within him. His little girl had grown up, and now she had a family of her own.

And now she was back, and he got to see his grandkids for the first time ever.

Kade looked from Jack to Connor, smiling softly. "Okay, so... Which one of you is Jack?"

Jack backed up a little, moving until he was at his mother's side. He clutched at her leg, holding on like it was a lifeline. Cassandra laughed a little, ruffling her son's hair.

"Jack's a little shy at first," she explained, "when he was born, I was actually the only person he really let hold him. He didn't even allow Adam to hold him; he was that shy."

Kade chuckled. "Really?"

"Yeah. That lasted for about five months."

The captain of the guard returned his gaze to the other little boy. "So... I'm assuming you're Connor, then?"

Connor nodded vigorously, grinning. "Yeah!"

Kade smiled a little, scooping Connor up as he stood again. "Now, why don't we all go into my office? Catch up over a drink?"

Cassandra nodded in agreement, allowing her father to lead her inside.

Indeed, she was glad to be home. She was glad to be with people she loved-- her sons and her father. And, she had to admit, she liked feeling happy and glad.

_Welcome home, Cassie,_ she thought to herself,  _welcome home._


End file.
